Academic Task 1:
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The table below shows the consumer durables (television, computer, etc.) owned in Britain from 1972 to 1998.
Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below.
You should write at least 150 words.
Consumer durables |
1972 |
1975 |
1981 |
1985 |
1991 |
1993 |
1995 |
1996 |
1998 |
Percentage of households with: |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
Color TV |
93 |
96 |
74 |
86 |
95 |
95 |
97 |
97 |
98 |
Home computer |
.. |
.. |
.. |
13 |
21 |
24 |
25 |
27 |
34 |
Washing Machine |
66 |
71 |
78 |
81 |
87 |
88 |
90 |
90 |
92 |
Telephone |
42 |
54 |
75 |
81 |
88 |
90 |
93 |
94 |
96 |
Central Heating |
37 |
43 |
59 |
69 |
82 |
83 |
86 |
88 |
90 |
Car or van |
52 |
56 |
69 |
62 |
67 |
68 |
71 |
70 |
72 |
Source: Office for National Statistics, UK
ANSWER:
The table provides information about how the number of British households with a range of consumer durables and household amenities has changed over a 26-year period between 1972 and 1998.
In 1972, the vast majority of households (93%) had a color television. In the next three years, figures touched the mark of 96%, but dropped to their lowest of about three quarters (74%) in the early 1980s. The percentage has steadily risen since then and almost all households (98%) had this mode of entertainment in 1998.
Looking at other products, it is clearly evident that there was a gradual rise in the ownership of all of them. The greatest increase was observed for central heating as the number of houses equipped with this facility rose from 37% in 1972 to 90% in 1998. Next came telephone ownership, rising from under a half (42%) of households in 1972 to 96% in 1998. The percentage of households with a washing machine went up by 26% over the same period and of those with a car or van rose by 20%. In 1985, the introduction year of home computers, just over one in eight British households (13%) owned a home computer. Interestingly, by the end of the period, numbers had climbed to 34%.
Overall, the percentage of British houses endowed with long-lasting goods and facilities increased throughout the given period.
WHO ARE WE?
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